DE102013202879A1 - Feeding device and method for successive feeding - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a feeding device (11) for a successive processing of hollow bodies at annularly arranged processing stations, a drawing-in machine for the successive processing of hollow bodies, a method for the successive feeding of hollow bodies at annularly arranged processing stations and a corresponding computer program. In order to allow a larger number of processing stations to be provided without an excessive space requirement or a similarly inefficient use of resources, a feeding device for a successive processing of hollow bodies at annularly arranged processing stations is proposed, with a first circumferential guide (13) for first Processing stations and a second circumferential guide (14) for second processing stations, wherein one of the guides (14) within the other guide (13) is arranged, and a conversion unit (17) for converting a Hohlköpers in the first guide (13) and / or the second guide (14).

Description

The invention relates to a feeding device for a successive processing of hollow bodies at annularly arranged processing stations, a drawing-in machine for the successive processing of hollow bodies, a method for the successive feeding of hollow bodies at annularly arranged processing stations and a corresponding computer program.

At present, indexing machines for producing, for example, metal hollow bodies are mainly used in a horizontal construction, i. the working movement takes place substantially horizontally, with modified vertical presses being used in the early days of drawing in.

Conventionally, the cans (as an example of a metal hollow body) are usually supplied via a belt coming from below (for practical reasons, since then other areas more accessible) via a feeder (regularly a vacuum drum) of the machine, from there into a holding device passed, which in turn is placed on a sync with the work process clocked driven turntable. Thus, the can of the various stages of work is fed sequentially, until ultimately all the processing steps that are provided in the machine, were processed. Finally, the can is removed from the work area of the machine by means of a discharge device comparable to the feed device and transferred to the next machine via a belt.

At present, machines with turntables between 20 and 48 stations are commercially offered or operated, whereby 50 stations are already provided.

The smaller machines date back to when the metal containers were made of Al99.5 and only one shoulder was formed, which serves to retract the can diameter down to the diameter that the aerosol can has the valve to put down. With increasing diameters of the containers and increasingly more complex shapes, larger machines have been developed to meet these requirements in one machine, since one can achieve only a certain degree of deformation per step (ultimately a diameter change). More elaborate or larger deformation thus requires more stations.

In later years, Al99.5 containers were made of alloyed aluminum or steel with thinner wall thicknesses (called "thin-walled containers"). Due to the material properties, however, the achievable degrees of deformation per stage are at most only about half as large, so that at least twice as many stations are required for the same shape compared to a same "thick-walled" container made of Al99.5.

Thus, there is a fundamental desire to provide a larger number of stations for a Einziehvorgang can.

According to the current state of the art, a first approach is to combine several (small) known machines in succession (ie in series).

A disadvantage of this first approach is that comparatively much space is needed, with a further disadvantage in the high cost per station, since most components must be kept multiple times. Furthermore, the operation of several machines also results in a higher energy requirement, which has an unfavorable effect on the environmental balance of the hollow body. A further disadvantage is that the cans are taken at the outlet of a machine from the holding chucks and must be taken up again in the following, this recording should ideally be made in exactly the same position with respect to the food as before, otherwise undesirable the orientation of the Hollow body would be lost to its longitudinal axis (so it would lead to a rotation of the hollow body). Another expense is that the machines are synchronized or decoupled by small buffers to a sufficient extent. These buffer paths are e.g. Bowl conveyors in which the cans are positioned only in a very limited order. Furthermore, the risk of damage to the hollow body increases with each machine transfer and thus an increase in rejects.

A second known approach is to provide ever larger machines - soon 50 stations on a turntable.

This approach has its limitations associated with manageable handling and moving masses, yet the feasible number of stations is unsatisfactory for a number of products, particularly thin-walled containers. A particular problem is that a lateral acceleration on the machine when rotating the turntable increases significantly with increasing size, this movement is very complex to compensate, since it is intermittent.

An object in view of which the present invention has been made is a successive processing feeder of hollow bodies at annularly arranged processing stations, a drawing-in machine for the successive processing of hollow bodies, a method for the successive supply of hollow bodies at annularly arranged processing stations and a corresponding computer program to provide that make it possible to provide a number of processing stations, the achievable with the second approach number reached and exceeded, without the initial approach requiring excessive space or similarly inefficient use of resources.

According to the invention, in view of this object, a feeding device for a successive processing of hollow bodies at annularly arranged processing stations proposed, with a first circumferential guide for first processing stations and a second circumferential guide for second processing stations, wherein one of the guides is disposed within the other guide, and a conversion unit for converting a hollow body into the first guide and / or the second guide.

Also proposed is a drawing-in machine for the successive processing of hollow bodies, with a feed device according to the invention and processing stations for hollow bodies, which are designed for feeding hollow bodies by means of the feeding device, wherein the processing stations on a first ring corresponding to the first guide and a second ring corresponding to the second guide are arranged.

In addition, a method for the successive feeding of hollow bodies at annularly arranged processing stations is proposed, with a step of converting a hollow body into a first guide and / or a second guide, wherein the first guide is a first circumferential guide for first processing stations and the second guide a second circumferential guide for second processing stations, wherein one of the guides is disposed within the other guide, wherein the step of converting is carried out several times and the multiple transfer comprises a transfer of a hollow body in the first guide and a transfer of a hollow body in the second guide.

Furthermore, a computer program with computer program means is proposed, which cause a feeding device according to the invention or a drawing-in machine according to the invention to carry out a method according to the invention when the computer program is executed on the feeding device or the drawing-in machine.

The invention is based on the finding that by arranging the processing stations on rings, one of which is located in another, a better utilization of space than with an arrangement of complete machines can be achieved side by side. In addition, since essential elements of the entire arrangement can be used together for the multiple rings of processing stations, the mechanical complexity per station is also lower compared to the first approach. Rather than increasing the size of a single ring in which processing stations are located by increasing its diameter, as the number of stations increases, the invention "folds" the path that passes through the stations on a relatively small area. is supplied by several parallel rings of processing stations with hollow bodies. If there is a desire to obtain a higher throughput per machine, the rings of the processing stations can also be used in parallel with correspondingly higher throughput.

The term "guide" in the present case refers to means for holding and moving one or more hollow bodies along a predetermined path, wherein in particular a turntable is an example of a guide. For example, the predetermined path of a guide may also be defined by rail elements that enclose the track. Even if two guides with such rail elements are provided separately from each other, this does not exclude that an outer boundary of an inner track and an inner boundary of the outer track are defined simultaneously by a correspondingly designed rail element, so that the rail element at least partially attributed to both guides can.

It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to providing only two guides. It is possible to provide a larger number of guides, for example, three guides. If three or more guides are provided, this may be done in a manner that a second guide is disposed within a first guide (as described above, for example) with the third guide disposed within the second guide. In this arrangement, the guides can be arranged concentrically. However, it is also possible to provide the second and third guide next to each other within the first guide. Corresponding variations result in an even greater number of existing guides.

In one embodiment of the invention, the conversion unit for converting a hollow body is in each case from the first guide into the second guide and configured by the second guide in the first guide.

It is advantageous in this embodiment that the conversion unit designed in this way allows the transfer of hollow bodies, for example, from an outer guide to an inner guide and back, wherein an intake and removal as such from hollow bodies to / from the device according to the invention substantially in the usual way can take place, in particular in the form of a feed and a discharge to the outer guide, within which at least one inner guide is provided.

However, it is also possible to provide supply and discharge of hollow bodies to / from the device according to the invention in connection with different guides. Thus, for example, a hollow body can be supplied to an outer guide, after passage of a typically almost complete circulation from the outer guide through a transfer unit to an inner guide and again after passage of a typically almost complete circulation on the inner guide from the device , A reversal of this process or further modifications or combinations of leadership trajectories are also possible.

In an embodiment of the above embodiment, the first guide is provided separately from the second guide.

If the first and second guides are provided separately from each other, i. For example, realized in the form of (substantially) independent turntables, the different guides can be clocked with different angular steps, so that different numbers of processing stations for different guides can be provided. A temporally constant offset between respective clock steps of the guides can be addressed by a corresponding holding period of the conversion unit.

In a further development of the embodiment, the conversion unit has a first transfer element for converting a hollow body from the first guide into the second guide and a second transfer element for converting a hollow body from the second guide into the first guide.

Depending on the design of the mutually separate guides may result in geometric restrictions, which in a one-piece conversion unit, which can implement both hollow body of the first guide in the second guide and the second guide in the first guide, an increased design or control effort , However, if the conversion unit is designed in several parts, the first and the second conversion element being provided separately from one another, any geometric restrictions can be addressed more easily.

In a modification of the embodiment or its continuation, the first guide and the second guide are designed for an opposite movement.

In an opposite movement of the guides, especially in synchronized with respect to the steps or clocks opposite movement of the guides, by the opposition to lateral accelerations or forces or torques that would otherwise occur within the device, at least partially compensated, so that on the one hand, a reduction in other measures in view of the occurring accelerations, forces or moments is possible (eg, the mechanical requirements can be reduced) and on the other hand, a quieter operation of the device results, which in turn has a positive effect on the quality of a processing of the hollow body, eg when feeding.

In a further embodiment of the embodiment, the first guide and the second guide are contained in a common guide unit.

According to the invention, different guides can be realized, for example in the form of a (common) turntable, which has as an integral unit two or more guideways, between which hollow bodies can be implemented. In such a case, the same number of stations in an inner and an outer ring of processing stations result in different distances between the processing stations of the different rings.

In another embodiment, the transfer unit for a particular parallel feeding a first hollow body in the first guide and a second hollow body in the second guide and a particular parallel removal of the first hollow body from the first guide and the second hollow body from the second guide configured the first guide and the second guide are preferably designed for an opposite movement.

If several (i.e., two or more) guides are operated in parallel, the throughput of a corresponding device can be increased accordingly.

In a conversion unit in the form of a common, integral feed and discharge device for the first and second guide results in the simplest case, a relation between the number of usable stations for the first guide and the second guide in the form that an equal number of stations is provided or there is an integer ratio between the stations. If for each hollow body, which is supplied to the inner guide and discharged from this, for example, two hollow body supplied to the outer guide and discharged from this, can be operated by the outer guide according to a double number of processing stations.

Also in this embodiment, the conversion unit can be designed in several parts, wherein in a multi-part design, an independent Zufuhr- or discharge number can be provided for the guides, which allows a corresponding choice of the respective processing stations.

In an opposite movement of the guides arise even with a corresponding embodiment of this embodiment, the advantages described here for the above embodiment.

The invention will be explained below with reference to illustrative embodiments and the attached figures. This shows

1 1 is a schematic representation of a first embodiment of a drawing-in machine according to the invention with a feed device according to the invention,

2 a schematic representation of a second embodiment of a drawing-in machine according to the invention with a feed device according to the invention,

3 a schematic representation of a third embodiment of a drawing-in machine according to the invention with a feeding device according to the invention,

4 a schematic representation of a fourth embodiment of a drawing-in machine according to the invention with a feeding device according to the invention and

5 a schematic flow diagram for the running of a hollow body in connection with an embodiment of a method according to the invention.

1 shows a schematic representation of a first embodiment of a drawing-in machine according to the invention with a feeding device according to the invention.

The feeding machine 11 includes a turntable 12 with a first guide 13 and a second guide 14 , the second guide 14 within the first guide 13 is arranged. The feeding machine 11 also has a feeding element 15 and a discharge element 16 for the first tour 13 as well as a conversion unit 17 for transferring hollow bodies from the first guide 13 on the second guide 14 and from the second guide 14 on the first tour 13 on.

The feeding machine 11 further comprises a number of processing stations (not shown), wherein a hollow body respectively through the guides 13 . 14 successively fed to the processing stations.

A hollow body (not shown) to be processed is received by the feed element 15 the first guide 13 supplied and supplied from this clockwise in each case successively stepwise located in this way processing stations until the conversion unit 17 is reached. The conversion unit 17 sets the already partially processed hollow body of the first guide 13 on the second guide 14 um, leaving the second guide 14 (continues clockwise) the hollow body feeds the other processing stations, that of the second guide 14 be operated until the hollow body circulates in the second guide 14 behind and from the Umsetzzeinheit 17 from the second guide 14 on the first tour 13 (back) is implemented to the circulation with the first guide 13 continue to go through. The thus successively supplied to the respective processing stations hollow body is finally from the discharge unit 16 from the first guide 13 taken and passed.

In this embodiment, the conversion unit 17 on one of the feeder unit 15 and the discharge unit 16 opposite side of the turntable 12 provided, the invention is not limited thereto. Moving between the guides 13 . 14 can also be provided at a different relative position. The feeder unit 15 and the discharge unit 16 are arranged adjacent to the utilization of the available space and the possible number of stations.

2 shows a schematic representation of a second embodiment of a drawing-in machine according to the invention with a feeding device according to the invention.

The feeding machine 21 of the second embodiment comprises a first guide 23 and a second guide 24 that within the first leadership 23 is arranged. Here are two turntables 22a . 22b intended. Like the feeding machine of the first embodiment, the Einziehmaschine 21 a feeder unit 25 , a conversion unit 27 and a drainage unit 26 on.

The feeding machine 21 of the second embodiment differs from that of the first embodiment in that employing the common turntable for the first guide 23 and the second guide 24 separate turntables 22a . 22b are provided. This allows the number of stations to be operated and thus the clock rate or step rate for the first guide 23 and the second guide 24 set independently or at least different.

In principle, the operation and operation of the drawing machine corresponds 21 of the second embodiment of the first embodiment, so that a corresponding repetition of the above is not necessary.

In this embodiment, the sense of rotation of the turntable is correct 22a the first guide 23 and with the turntable 22b the second leadership match. However, it is also possible, as far as the geometric conditions of the respective embodiment allow this, operate the turntables or guides in the opposite direction.

3 shows a schematic representation of a third embodiment of a drawing-in machine according to the invention with a feeding device according to the invention.

The feeding machine 31 of the third embodiment comprises - comparable to that of the second embodiment - two guides 33 . 34 with own turntables 32a . 32b , the second guide 34 within the first guide 33 is arranged. The Einziehmaschine also also includes a feed unit 35 and a drainage unit 36 , the hollow body of the first guide 34 feed and remove from this.

Notwithstanding the second embodiment, the Einziehmaschine includes 31 of the third embodiment, a multi-part conversion unit with a first conversion element 37a and a second conversion element 37b , In addition, wherein the direction of rotation of the first guide 33 opposite to the direction of rotation of the second guide 34 is.

The first conversion element 37a serves to hollow body on its run through the Einziehmaschine 31 from the first guide 33 on the second guide 34 implement while the second conversion element 37b serves to hollow body after passing through the stations, by the second guide 34 be served by the second guide 34 back to the first guide 33 implement.

4 shows a schematic representation of a fourth embodiment of a drawing-in machine according to the invention with a feeding device according to the invention.

The feeding machine 41 of the fourth embodiment comprises, similar to those of the second and third embodiments, separate turntables 42a . 42b for a first tour 43 and a second guide 44 ,

Notwithstanding the first three embodiments, the Einziehmaschine includes 41 a conversion unit 47 , the jointly supplied hollow body of the first guide 43 and the second guide 44 feeds, thereby doubling the amount of supplied hollow bodies compared to the first three embodiments, which is indicated by arrows 48 is indicated.

The parallel to the guides 43 . 44 supplied hollow body pass through the Einziehmaschine 41 parallel and after one revolution through the conversion unit 47 the first guide 43 and the second guide 44 again taken parallel and discharged (see arrows 49 ).

5 shows a schematic flow diagram for the run of a hollow body in connection with an embodiment of a method according to the invention.

The procedure 100 starts with a feeding 101 of the hollow body to the first guide, after which a first processing sequence 102 follows, which is a gradual feeding 103 of the hollow body to corresponding processing stations and corresponding processing includes. On the first processing sequence 102 following the hollow body in step 104 implemented in the second guide, wherein the second guide is disposed within the first guide. The conversion 104 differs from the known withdrawals from a guide in conventional drawing-in machines in that the implementation 104 from the outer first guide into a second guide arranged therein, and does not constitute a discharge from the drawing-in machine. After reacting 104 follows a second processing sequence 105 with corresponding successive feeding 103 and editing (comparable to the first processing sequence). After completion of the second processing sequence 105 (While the hollow body was guided by the second guide), a further conversion takes place 106 from the second guide back to the first guide, after which the machining with a third machining sequence 107 will continue. Finally will the processed by the drawing-in hollow body in step 108 dissipated.

One aspect of the present invention provides two webs of chucks on a turntable, wherein in one region the blanks are transferred from one web (preferably the outer) to the other and then back again after almost a full turn just before reaching the transfer position be handed over to the exit lane. In this case, both lanes have the same number of stations, so that the distance between the chucks on the outer lane is greater than on the inner lane.

In order to improve the geometric conditions when moving from one web to the other, another aspect of the invention provides a plurality (preferably 2) (preferably concentric) rotary rings running into one another (preferably counter-rotating), in which the hollow bodies of one (preferably outer) are transferred to the or another rotary ring and are returned from there after almost a full round before re-reaching the transfer area back to the original rotary ring.

In this aspect, the number of stations on the rotary rings need not be the same, so that the space utilization is further improved. An exemplary dimensioning would be about 36 stations inside and 48 stations outside. When the transfers are realized on separate transfer units (e.g., vacuum drums), the constraints on geometrical design are further reduced.

By opposing rotary rings is a lateral acceleration, which occurs when a clocking (stepwise movement) of the rotary rings, compensated very largely, without further additional measures would be necessary so that the machine runs comparatively quiet despite a large number of stations or can be built easily.

Compared to previous approaches such a machine builds significantly smaller than a combination of several machines, but also as a machine with a comparable number of stations on a turntable with a track. As a result, his machine is also cheaper to build.

In the transfers between the webs of the hollow body is preferably never left to gravity, so that an exact positioning in the feed is easily possible and precautions to calm down free falling doses can be omitted.

Another aspect of the invention provides to load the incoming hollow body to be retracted by a special loader into multiple tracks and then to have a machine in which the corresponding plurality of rotary rings are parallel, which is not a maximum increase in the number of stations for a hollow body results, but the machine works with correspondingly increased output.

• – ein mechanisches Schrittschaltgetriebe, das auf einen Ring direkt wirkt, dessen Bewegung über einen Ritzelsatz auf einen anderen Drehtisch dem Stationsverhältnis entsprechend übertragen wird,
• – einen oder mehrere Servoantriebe, die auf einen Ring direkt wirken, dessen Bewegung über einen Ritzelsatz auf einen anderen Drehtisch dem Stationsverhältnis entsprechend übertragen wird, oder
• – einem oder mehreren Servoantriebe pro Drehring, so dass die Ringe unabhängig voneinander gesteuert werden können.

The drive of the guides (rotary tables, rotary rings) can be done via

• A mechanical step-action gear which acts directly on a ring whose movement is transmitted via a set of gears to another turntable in accordance with the station ratio,
• - One or more servo drives, which act directly on a ring whose movement is transmitted via a set of sprockets to another turntable according to the station ratio, or
• - One or more servo drives per rotary ring, so that the rings can be controlled independently.

In particular, the invention provides a drawing-in machine in which the hollow bodies are guided through the machine on two essentially concentric tracks and the hollow bodies are transferred from one to the other track and at the end of the pass on this track back to the original track the webs are preferably traversed in opposite directions, wherein the outer web in particular has more stations than the inner and the transfer between the webs is advantageously realized with separate transfer devices.

The invention also provides a drawing machine with a plurality of webs, in which webs are loaded in parallel, so that several hollow bodies per stroke can be processed at parallel stations, whereby the overall throughput is correspondingly increased.

Another aspect of the invention relates to a Einziehmaschine for successive processing of hollow bodies at annularly arranged processing stations, wherein processing stations of the drawing machine are arranged on a first ring and a second ring, which is located within the first ring, and the Einziehmaschine at least one conversion unit for converting a Hollow body between a guide for processing stations of the first ring and a guide for processing stations of the second ring, and a method for successive processing of hollow bodies at annularly arranged processing stations, with a successive feeding a hollow body to processing stations of a Einziehmaschine with a guide, wherein the processing stations are disposed on a first ring and a second ring located within the first ring, wherein the feeding comprises translating a hollow body from a guide for Bear includes processing stations of the first ring inwardly to a guide for processing stations of the second ring.

The invention has been described herein primarily with reference to metallic hollow bodies, such as those used in can making, and the invention can also be used in contexts in which a high number of stations is not required (eg plastic hollow body), if several objects per Clock are loaded and correspondingly larger steps in the "switching" are made (one speaks of the "switching" of the turntable, if it is rotated one clock further).

Although the rings in which the processing stations are located have been shown or discussed herein primarily as concentric rings, the present invention is not so limited and embodiments are possible in which the rings are not concentric, although concentric is considered particularly advantageous.

It is possible and encompassed by the invention that the planes of the various rings are offset relative to one another along a rotation axis, so that the processing stations or guides do not lie in a common plane.

Claims (10)

Feeding device for a successive processing of hollow bodies at annularly arranged processing stations, comprising: a first circulating guide ( 13 . 23 . 33 . 43 ) for first processing stations and a second circulating guide ( 14 . 24 . 34 . 44 ) for second processing stations, one of the guides ( 14 . 24 . 34 . 44 ) within the other leadership ( 13 . 23 . 33 . 43 ), and a conversion unit ( 17 . 27 . 37a . 37b . 47 ) for converting a hollow body into the first guide ( 13 . 23 . 33 . 43 ) and / or the second guide ( 14 . 24 . 34 . 44 ). Feeding device according to claim 1, wherein the converting unit ( 17 . 27 . 37a . 37b ) for converting a hollow body respectively from the first guide ( 13 . 23 . 33 ) in the second leadership ( 14 . 24 . 34 ) and the second leadership ( 14 . 24 . 34 ) in the first tour ( 13 . 23 . 33 ) is configured. Feeding device according to claim 2, wherein the first guide ( 23 . 33 ) separately from the second guide ( 24 . 34 ) is provided. Feeding device according to claim 3, wherein the converting unit ( 37a . 37b ) a first conversion element ( 37a ) for converting a hollow body from the first guide ( 33 ) in the second leadership ( 34 ) and a second conversion element ( 37b ) for converting a hollow body from the second guide ( 34 ) in the first tour ( 33 ) having. Feeding device according to claim 3 or 4, wherein the first guide ( 33 ) and the second guide ( 34 ) are designed for an opposite movement. Feeding device according to claim 2, wherein the first guide ( 13 ) and the second guide ( 14 ) in a common management unit ( 12 ) are included. Feeding device according to claim 1, wherein the converting unit ( 47 ) for a particularly parallel feeding a first hollow body in the first guide ( 43 ) and a second hollow body in the second guide ( 44 ) and a particular parallel removal of the first hollow body from the first guide ( 43 ) and the second hollow body of the second guide ( 44 ), the first guide ( 43 ) and the second guide ( 44 ) are preferably designed for an opposite movement. Drawing-in machine ( 11 . 21 . 31 . 41 ) for the successive processing of hollow bodies, with a feed device according to one of the preceding claims and processing stations for hollow bodies, which are designed for the supply of hollow bodies by means of the feed device, wherein the processing stations on a first ring according to the first guide ( 13 . 23 . 33 . 43 ) and a second ring according to the second guide ( 14 . 24 . 34 . 44 ) are arranged. Procedure ( 100 ) for the successive supply of hollow bodies at annularly arranged processing stations, with transfer ( 104 . 106 ) of a hollow body in a first guide and / or a second guide, wherein the first guide is a first circumferential guide for first processing stations and the second guide is a second circumferential guide for second processing stations, wherein one of the guides is disposed within the other guide, the step of implementing ( 104 . 106 ) is executed several times and the multiple conversion a conversion ( 106 ) of a hollow body in the first guide and a transfer ( 104 ) comprises a hollow body in the second guide. Computer program with computer program means comprising a feeding device according to one of claims 1 to 7 or a drawing-in machine Claim 8 to carry out a method according to claim 9, when the computer program is executed on the feeder or the Einziehmaschine.

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